Inverse
multiplexing is a term that describes a scalable wide area access solution that
is truly the opposite of traditional multiplexing. With traditional multiplexing,
multiple data streams are combined and transmitted together over a single high-speed
circuit. Inverse multiplexing, on the other hand, uses multiple circuits that
act as a single logical channel to transmit a high-speed data stream. Because
the term "inverse multiplexing" is a bit unwieldy, the shorter terms "inverse muxing" and "imuxing" (pronounced eye-muxing) are
frequently used. A number of factors have come together to make inverse multiplexing
a major technology in contemporary internetworking environments. This booklet
examines those issues, discusses the advantages of several inverse muxing solutions
and explains the key place of inverse muxing in the delivery of high-speed broadband
services.

The Connectivity Revolution
Only twenty years ago, simply placing computers on desktops was a revolutionary
element in the day-to- day operation of businesses. Now, with desktop computing
a well-established norm, the new, on going revolution is in the way computers
are interconnected. Computer users are continually being offered, and
then
demanding access to ever-more-powerful applications and services, regardless of
the source's geographical location. The challenge for network designers and implementers
is how to successfully meet the rapidly growing connectivity requirements of their
sophisticated user base.The emergence
of the local area network (LAN) as the core architecture in the corporate enterprise
has had a dramatic impact on the networking industry. One of the chief characteristics
of Local Area Networking is the relatively low cost of bandwidth, with many LANs
today operating at 10 and 100 Mbps Ethernet speeds. Newer Ethernet technologies
have increased the choice of operating speeds by orders of magnitude to one Gigabit
per second, with 10 Gbps moving toward industry standardization.